Helmet liner locking lace retraction system with quick release

ABSTRACT

A lace tensioning system ( 10 ) has sliding assemblies ( 11 ), and a ratcheted track slide ( 12 ). The ratcheted track slide has first and second slots ( 25 ), ratcheted tracks ( 13 ) on a predetermined side of, and on opposing edges of, the ratcheted track slide, the slots are separated by a divider ( 24 ). A sliding assembly is slidingly attached to the track slide and has a lace aperture ( 43 ) and ratcheted tracks ( 14 ). The ratcheted tracks of the sliding assembly are releasably and slidingly engaged with the ratcheted tracks of the ratcheted track slide. A sliding assembly is responsive to a force impressed upon an actuator button ( 16 ) to separate the ratcheted tracks of the sliding assembly from the ratcheted tracks of the ratcheted track slide to allow the sliding assembly to move freely along the slot. A sliding assembly can be moved toward the divider without pressing the actuator button.

BACKGROUND

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/828,957 filed on Apr. 3, 2019.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

A low-profile lace retraction system for quickly and efficiently retracting lace to adjust a helmet liner system is disclosed.

PRIOR ART

Some helmet liner fit systems which include a lace tightening system that cooperates with the elements of helmet liner so that they can be tightened around and made to conform to the configuration and contours of an individual's head in order to provide a secure helmet liner fit, such as the lace tensioning system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,179,729, which is a reel-based (rotary) high torque rotary system and can be employed in one lace and two lace systems. Rotary dial systems are, however, awkward to access with the thumb and index finger at the rear of the helmet to perform a series of dial rotations necessary to achieve the desired tension. Further, rotary dials are bulky, noisy, and present major design constraints when one is attempting to integrate a rotary dial system into a helmet shell design.

SUMMARY

A lace tensioning system comprises a track slide, a first sliding assembly, and a second sliding assembly.

The track slide has a first slot and a second slot, first and second ratcheted tracks on a predetermined side of the track slide and on opposing edges of the first slot, third and fourth ratcheted tracks on the predetermined side of the track slide and on opposing edges of the second slot, the first slot and the second slot being separated by a divider.

The first sliding assembly is slidingly attached to the track slide and has a first lace aperture and fifth and sixth ratcheted tracks, the fifth and sixth ratcheted tracks releasably and slidingly engaging the first and second ratcheted tracks, respectively, the first sliding assembly being responsive to a first force to separate the fifth and sixth ratcheted tracks from the first and second ratcheted tracks to allow the first sliding assembly to move freely along the first slot.

The second sliding assembly is slidingly attached to the track slide and having a second lace aperture and seventh and eighth ratcheted tracks, the seventh and eighth ratcheted tracks releasably and slidingly engaging the third and fourth ratcheted tracks, respectively, the second sliding assembly being responsive to a second force to separate the seventh and eighth ratcheted tracks from the third and fourth ratcheted tracks to allow the second sliding assembly to move freely along the second slot.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a top view of an embodiment of a lace tightening system.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the lace tightening system.

FIG. 3 is another exploded perspective view of the lace tightening system.

FIGS. 4a through 4e are various views of a unitary support arm and ratcheted track slide cover.

FIGS. 5a through 5f are various views of a ratcheted track slide.

FIGS. 6a through 6e are various views of a ratcheted sliding platform.

FIGS. 7a through 7e are various views of a lace guide slider.

FIGS. 8a through 8e are various views of an actuator button.

FIG. 9 is a side view of a dual lace loop helmet fit system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An embodiment of a lace tightening (or tensioning) system is indicated generally at 10 in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. The system 10 comprises a ratcheted track slide 12, a pair of sliding assemblies 11, and a track cover 19 with an associated lace tensioning system support arm 50.

A sliding assembly 11 comprises a ratcheted sliding platform 14, a lace guide slider 18, an actuator button 16, and a spring 58. The ratcheted sliding platform 14 is positioned with its ratchets 15 (FIG. 6d ) facing the ratchets 13 on the underside (with respect to the view of FIG. 3) of the track slide 12, and with a pin 34 extending into a slot 25. The lace guide slider 18 is positioned on the other side of the track slide 12 with the hole 44 and the pin 34 aligned. The spring 58 is positioned on the lace guide slider 18 around the hole 44. A post 36 of the actuator button 16 is inserted through the spring 58, through the hole 44 in the lace guide slider 18, and over the pin 34 thereby securing the actuator button 16 to the ratcheted sliding platform 14. The spring 58 is therefore held captive between the actuator button 16 and the lace guide slider 18. The ratcheted track slide 12 is between the ratcheted sliding platform 14 and the lace guide slider 18. The spring 58 biases the actuator button 16 and, with it, the ratcheted sliding platform 14, urging the ratchets on the sliding platform 14 into engagement with the ratchets on the underside of the track slide 12. This engagement prevents movement of the sliding assembly 11 towards an end rail 30.

The ratchets 15 on the sliding platform 14 and the ratchets 13 on the underside of the track slide 12 are preferably biased to allow the sliding assembly 11 to easily move away from the end rail 30 and toward the divider 24, thus tightening the helmet fit system 80 around the head of the user, without the actuator button 16 being pushed. (I added “11” and “25” to FIGS. 2, and “15” to FIG. 6d .)

When a force is applied to the actuator button 16, such as by the user pressing on the actuator button 16, the force overcomes the bias force provided by the spring 58 and moves the ratcheted sliding platform 14 towards the cover 19, thereby disengaging the ratchets 15 on the sliding platform 14 from the ratchets 13 on the underside of the track slide 12 so that the sliding assembly 11 is free to move along the track slide 12 in either direction. If the lace 63 is under tension, the tension will move the sliding assembly 11 toward the end rail 30, and the tension is thereby released. Thus, a helmet liner locking lace retraction system with quick release is provided. Preferably, but not necessarily, the ratchets 15 on the sliding platform 14 and the ratchets on the 13 of the track slide 12 are biased to allow the sliding assembly 11 to move away from the divider 24 and toward the end rail 30, thereby releasing the tension on the lace 63, when the actuator button 16 being pushed.

If the sliding assembly 11 is moved toward the divider 24 then a slight clicking noise may be heard as the ratcheted surfaces 13, 15 slip past each other. However, if the user presses the actuator button 16, the ratcheted surfaces 13, 15 will not contact each other, so there is little or no sound when the user moves the sliding assembly 11 toward the divider 24. Thus, the helmet fit liner can be tightened or loosened with little or no sound. Further, as noted herein, the left and right sides can be independently adjusted.

The track cover 19, as seen in FIGS. 4a through 4e comprises a cover 48 and the support arm 50. The cover 48 is provided with fastener apertures 52 for securing the cover 48 to the ratcheted track slide 12 by engagement with fastening nubs 54 on the track slide 12 (FIGS. 3 and 5 a through 5 f). The support arm 50 has fastening nubs 56 for engaging an element of a helmet liner such as the one shown in FIG. 9. A lace access opening 57 is provided to facilitate securement of a lace to the lace guide slider 18, and adjustments to the lace.

The ratcheted track slide 12, as seen in FIGS. 5a through 5 f, comprises a left track section 20, a right track section 22, and a divider 24 between them. The track slide 12 is symmetrical about the divider 24 so only the left track section 20 will be described for the sake of brevity. The left track section 20 comprises a top rail 26 and a bottom rail 28. There is a slot indicated at 25 between the rails 26 and 28. The upper side of the rails 26 and 28 is generally smooth, as can be seen FIGS. 5c and 5d . The underside of the rails 26 and 28 has ratcheted tracks 13, as can be seen in FIGS. 5b and 5f . The slot 25 is closed at one end by the divider 24 and at the other end by an end rail 30. A raised lip 31 surrounds the slot on the upper side of the rails 26 and 28. (I added “31” on FIGS. 2 and 5 d.)

The ratcheted sliding platform 14, as seen in FIGS. 6a through 6 e, comprises a platform 32. The upper side of the platform 32 is ratcheted as shown in FIGS. 6b, 6c, and 6d . The pin 34 extends outwardly from the upper, ratcheted side of the platform 32.

The lace guide slider 18, as seen in FIGS. 7a through 7 e, comprises a base 40 and a lace guide 42, with a lace aperture 43, which depends from the base 40. The hole 44 extends through the base 40. An actuator button recess 46 surrounds the hole 44.

The actuator button 16, as seen in FIGS. 8a through 8 e, comprises the post 36 which extends from a finger button 38. (I added “36” and “38” on FIGS. 2 and 8 a.)

Although the illustrated embodiment shows the ratcheted sliding platform 14 having the pin 34 and the actuator button 16 having the post 36, the ratcheted sliding platform 14 could have the post 36 and the actuator button 16 could have the pin 34.

In FIGS. 1 and 9, a first end 60 of a lace 63 is connected to the lace tightening system 10 and, specifically, to the lace glide slider 18. The first end 60 of the lace 63 extends into and through the opening 64 (FIGS. 2 and 3) in the cover 48, and into and through the lace aperture 43 in the lace guide slider 18. The end 60 of the lace 63 is then manipulated to prevent it from sliding out of the lace aperture 43. For example, a knot may be tied in the end of the lace or a metal sleeve may be crimped onto the end 60 of the lace 63. Other suitable sliding prevention mechanisms may be employed.

The second, other end 66 of the lace 63 is fixedly connected to the cover 19 and/or the track slide 12. The end 66 of the lace 63 extends into and through an opening 68 (FIGS. 2 and 3) in the cover 48, and is secured inside of the lace tightening system 10, for example, by tying a knot in the end of the lace or crimping a metal sleeve onto the end 66 of the lace 63. Other suitable sliding prevention mechanisms may be employed. In this case, the end 66 of the lace 63 that is fixedly connected to the cover 19 and/or the track slide 12 is static and the other end 60 of the lace 63, i.e., the end that is connected to the lace guide slider 18, is dynamic.

This arrangement is especially suited for a two loop lace helmet fit system 80, such as the one shown in FIG. 9. Only the left side of the two loop lace helmet fit system 80 is shown, the right side being a mirror image. The lace loop 62 is formed by connecting the ends 60 and 66 of the lace 63 to the lace tightening system 10 as described above. The lace 63 goes through various guides provided on the helmet liner elements, including a guide such as a pulley 70, so that, when the associated lace guide slider 18 is moved towards the divider 24, the loop 62 is shortened, and the elements of the helmet fit system tighten around a head inside of the helmet fit system 80. The loop 62 can be lengthened by pressing on the button 16, thereby disengaging the ratchets on the track slide 12 from the ratchets on the sliding platform 14 and sliding the lace guide slider 18 away from the divider 24. Alternatively, the end 66 of the lace 63 may be fixedly attached to one of the elements of the helmet fit system 80, again with the result that when the associated lace guide slider 18 is moved towards the divider 24, the lace 63 becomes tighter and the elements of the helmet fit system 80 tighten around a head of the user inside of the helmet fit system 80. (I added #63 to FIGS. 1 and 9, and also added #80 to FIG. 9.)

Thus, the disclosed system includes a lock for holding the retracted lace in place, i.e., under tension. The disclosed system also includes a quick release feature for releasing the retracted lace. The disclosed system is very well suited for use in helmet liner fit systems such as the one disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 10,588,374, which was co-pending at the time the above provisional application was filed, and the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. The disclosed system is also especially well suited for use in a helmet liner fit system with independent left and right lace tensioning for securing the helmet liner to a wearer's head. (Formerly part of paragraph [0002].)

Thus, a lace tightening system especially suited for independent dual lace loop helmet liner fit systems has been disclosed. This tightening system provides for independent tension adjustments in the left lace and in the right lace with one or two hand operation. Further, this lace tightening system is virtually silent during tightening and release operations. (Formerly in paragraph [0008].) Also, an improved lace type helmet fit system and an improved lace tensioning system for use in a lace type helmet fit system have been disclosed.

The lace tightening system may comprise a ratcheted track slide with a longitudinally extending slot, ratchets on its underside, and a track on its upper side. The system may further comprise a pair of sliding assemblies, i.e., left and right, each comprising a sliding platform, an actuator button, a post connecting the platform to the actuator button, a lace guide slider, and a spring or other biasing means. The sliding platform is supported on the underside of the track slide and it is provided with ratchets that can cooperate with and engage the ratchets on the underside of the track slide to prevent relative movement, in one direction, between the track slide and the sliding platforms. The actuator button is supported on the platform and secured thereto at a fixed distance from the platform. The post extends between the platform and the actuator button. The post is carried in the track slide slot so that the actuator button is positioned on the upper side of the sliding track, opposite the ratcheted side of the track slide. The lace guide slider is positioned between the track slide and the actuator button so that the lace guide slider is held captive between the actuator button and the track. The spring or other biasing device biases the actuator button for movement away from the lace guide and, at the same time, biases the ratcheted sliding platform for movement towards the ratchets on the underside of the ratcheted track slide and into engagement therewith. When the biasing force is overcome by a force applied to the actuator button, the actuator button moves towards the lace guide slider and the ratcheted sliding platform moves with the button and away from the ratcheted underside of the track slide to disengage the ratchets so that movement between the track slide and the track slide is permitted in both directions. When the force is released from the actuator button, the spring operates to move the actuator button away from the lace guide slider and to move the ratcheted sliding platform towards the underside of the track slide and into engagement with the ratchets thereon. (Formerly in paragraph [0009].)

The lace tightening system can be supported on a helmet liner through a support arm connected to the helmet liner. The support arm may include a cover for attachment to the ratcheted track slide so that it covers the underside of the ratcheted track slide. (Formerly in paragraph [0010].)

An end of a lace is secured within the lace guide slider so that the lace is retracted as the lace guide slider is moved in a first direction, and so that the lace is extended as the lace guide slider is moved in the opposite direction. Engagement between the ratchets on the sliding platform and the ratchets on the underside of the lace guide slider will effectively lock the lace against being extended from the tightening system. In the case of a helmet fit system with two lace loops, i.e., left and right, the other end of the lace would be secured to the track slide cover so that the loop is made smaller as the lace guide slider is moved in a first direction, and so that the loop is made larger as the lace guide slider is moved in the opposite direction. Again, engagement between the ratchets on the sliding platform and the ratchets on the underside of the lace guide slider will lock the lace against being extended in the first direction, thereby preventing the loop from being made larger. (Formerly in paragraph [0011].)

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this subject matter belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the specification and relevant art and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. For brevity and/or clarity, well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail herein.

The terms “for example” and “such as” mean “by way of example and not of limitation.” The subject matter described herein is provided by way of illustration for the purposes of teaching, suggesting, and describing, and not limiting or restricting. Combinations and alternatives to the illustrated embodiments are contemplated, described herein, and set forth in the claims.

For convenience of discussion herein, when there is more than one of a component, that component may be referred to herein either collectively or singularly by the singular reference numeral unless expressly stated otherwise or the context clearly indicates otherwise. For example, components N (plural) or component N (singular) may be used unless a specific component is intended. Also, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless expressly stated otherwise or the context indicates otherwise.

It will be further understood that the terms “includes,” “comprises,” “including,” and/or “comprising” specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof unless explicitly stated otherwise or the context clearly requires otherwise. The terms “includes,” “has” or “having” or variations in form thereof are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprises” as that term is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.

It will be understood that when a component is referred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to another component, it can be directly connected or coupled or coupled by one or more intervening components unless expressly stated otherwise or the context clearly indicates otherwise.

The term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, phrases such as “between X and Y” and “between about X and Y” should be interpreted to include X and Y unless expressly stated otherwise or the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Terms such as “about”, “approximately”, and “substantially” are relative terms and indicate that, although two values may not be identical, their difference is such that the apparatus or method still provides the indicated or desired result, or that the operation of a device or method is not adversely affected to the point where it cannot perform its intended purpose. As an example, and not as a limitation, if a height of “approximately X inches” is recited, a lower or higher height is still “approximately X inches” if the desired function can still be performed or the desired result can still be achieved.

While the terms vertical, horizontal, upper, lower, bottom, top, and the like may be used herein, it is to be understood that these terms are used for ease in referencing the drawing and, unless otherwise indicated or required by context, does not denote a required orientation.

The different advantages and benefits disclosed and/or provided by the implementation(s) disclosed herein may be used individually or in combination with one, some or possibly even all of the other benefits. Furthermore, not every implementation, nor every component of an implementation, is necessarily required to obtain, or necessarily required to provide, one or more of the advantages and benefits of the implementation.

Conditional language, such as, among others, “can”, “could”, “might”, or “may”, unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments preferably or optionally include certain features, elements and/or steps, while some other embodiments optionally do not include those certain features, elements and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language indicates, in general, that those features, elements and/or step may not be required for every implementation or embodiment.

The subject matter described herein is provided by way of illustration only and should not be construed as limiting the nature and scope of the subject invention. While examples of aspects of the subject invention have been provided above, it is not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for implementing the subject invention, and one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that further combinations and permutations of the subject invention are possible. Furthermore, the subject invention is not necessarily limited to implementations that solve any or all disadvantages which may have been noted in any part of this disclosure. Various modifications and changes may be made to the subject invention described herein without following, or departing from the spirit and scope of, the exemplary embodiments and applications illustrated and described herein. Although the subject matter presented herein has been described in language specific to components used therein, it is to be understood that the subject invention is not necessarily limited to the specific components or characteristics thereof described herein; rather, the specific components and characteristics thereof are disclosed as example forms of implementing the subject invention. Accordingly, the disclosed subject matter is intended to embrace all alterations, modifications, and variations, that fall within the scope and spirit of any claims that are written, or may be written, for the subject invention.

The foregoing detailed description of some embodiments of the invention is intended only to convey to a person having ordinary skill in the art the fundamental aspects of the invention and is not intended to limit, and should not be construed as limiting, the scope of the invention. 

1. A lace tensioning system comprising: a track slide having a first slot and a second slot, first and second ratcheted tracks on a predetermined side of the track slide and on opposing edges of the first slot, third and fourth ratcheted tracks on the predetermined side of the track slide and on opposing edges of the second slot, the first slot and the second slot being separated by a divider; a first sliding assembly slidingly attached to the track slide and having a first lace aperture and fifth and sixth ratcheted tracks, the fifth and sixth ratcheted tracks releasably and slidingly engaging the first and second ratcheted tracks, respectively, the first sliding assembly being responsive to a first force to separate the fifth and sixth ratcheted tracks from the first and second ratcheted tracks to allow the first sliding assembly to move freely along the first slot; and a second sliding assembly slidingly attached to the track slide and having a second lace aperture and seventh and eighth ratcheted tracks, the seventh and eighth ratcheted tracks releasably and slidingly engaging the third and fourth ratcheted tracks, respectively, the second sliding assembly being responsive to a second force to separate the seventh and eighth ratcheted tracks from the third and fourth ratcheted tracks to allow the second sliding assembly to move freely along the second slot.
 2. The lace tensioning system of claim 1, wherein the first sliding assembly further comprises a platform, the platform having the fifth and sixth ratcheted tracks.
 3. The lace tensioning system of claim 2, wherein the first sliding assembly further comprises a lace glide slider, an actuator button and a spring, the lace glide slider having the first lace aperture and being between the actuator button and the track slide, the spring being between the actuator button and the platform.
 4. The lace tensioning system of claim 3, wherein application of the first force to the actuator button urges the first sliding platform away from the track slide to separate the fifth and sixth ratcheted tracks from the first and second ratcheted tracks.
 5. The lace tensioning system of claim 4, wherein the spring returns the fifth and sixth ratcheted tracks into engagement with the first and second ratcheted tracks when the force is removed from the actuator button.
 6. The lace tensioning system of claim 3, wherein the lace glide slider has a hole therein, the actuator button comprises a first selected one of a post or a pin, the first sliding platform comprises a second selected one of the pin or the post, the second selected one being different from the first selected one, and wherein the post protrudes through the hole, and the actuator button, the lace glide slider, the spring, and the first sliding platform are held together by the joining of the first selected one and the second selected one.
 7. The lace tensioning system of claim 6, wherein the spring surrounds the post.
 8. The lace tensioning system of claim 3, wherein the lace guide slider comprises an opening to accommodate a lace.
 9. The lace tensioning system of claim 1, wherein the first sliding assembly comprises an opening to accommodate a lace.
 10. The lace tensioning system of claim 1, and further comprising a track cover on the predetermined side of the track slide and substantially covering the track slide.
 11. The lace tensioning system of claim 10, wherein the track cover comprises a support arm having a plurality of fastening nubs located near or at a distal end of the support arm.
 12. The lace tensioning system of claim 10, wherein the track cover comprises at least one opening to accommodate a lace.
 13. The lace tensioning system of claim 10, wherein the track slide further comprises a fastening nub and the track cover further comprises a corresponding fastening aperture.
 14. The lace tensioning system of claim 10, wherein the track cover further comprises a lace access opening.
 15. The lace tensioning system of claim 1 wherein, a first end of a lace is secured to the first lace aperture, the lace is routed through various guides provided on a helmet liner, and a second end of the lace is secured to at least one of the track cover 19 or the first ratcheted track slide, and movement of the first sliding assembly toward the divider tightens a lace loop in the helmet liner.
 16. A lace tensioning system comprising: a track slide having a first slot and a second slot, first and second ratcheted tracks on a predetermined side of the track slide and on opposing edges of the first slot, third and fourth ratcheted tracks on the predetermined side of the track slide and on opposing edges of the second slot, the first slot and the second slot being separated by a divider; a first sliding assembly slidingly attached to the track slide and having a first actuator button having a first post extending therefrom, a first spring surrounding the first post, a first lace guide slider having a first hole therein to accommodate the first post, and a first ratcheted sliding platform having fifth and sixth ratcheted tracks and having a first pin which mates with the first post, the first ratcheted sliding platform being on the predetermined side of the track slide, the first actuator button, the first spring, and the first lace guide being on an opposing side of the track slide, the fifth and sixth ratcheted tracks releasably and slidingly engaging the first and second ratcheted tracks, respectively, and the first sliding assembly being responsive to a first force to separate the fifth and sixth ratcheted tracks from the first and second ratcheted tracks to allow the first sliding assembly to move freely along the first slot; and a second sliding assembly slidingly attached to the track slide and having a second actuator button having a second post extending therefrom, a second spring surrounding the second post, a second lace guide slider having a second hole therein to accommodate the second post, and a second ratcheted sliding platform having seventh and eighth ratcheted tracks and having a second pin which mates with the second post, the second ratcheted sliding platform being on the predetermined side of the track slide, the second actuator button, the second spring, and the second lace guide being on the opposing side of the track slide, the seventh and eighth ratcheted tracks releasably and slidingly engaging the third and fourth ratcheted tracks, respectively, and the second sliding assembly being responsive to a second force to separate the seventh and eighth ratcheted tracks from the third and fourth ratcheted tracks to allow the second sliding assembly to move freely along the second slot.
 17. The lace tensioning system of claim 16, wherein the first lace slide glider has the first lace aperture therein.
 18. The lace tensioning system of claim 16, wherein application of the first force to the first actuator button urges the first sliding platform away from the track slide to separate the fifth and sixth ratcheted tracks from the first and second ratcheted tracks.
 19. The lace tensioning system of claim 16, wherein the first spring returns the fifth and sixth ratcheted tracks into engagement with the first and second ratcheted tracks when the first force is removed from the first actuator button.
 20. The lace tensioning system of claim 16, and further comprising a track cover on the predetermined side of the track slide and substantially covering the track slide, the track cover comprising a support arm having a plurality of fastening nubs located near or at a distal end of the support arm. 